Orlando Pirates coach Jose Riveiro says their ambitions as the Buccaneers are to reach the final of the Nedbank Cup this season. 

Pirates is set to face SuperSport United in the quarterfinal of the Nedbank Cup in Old Peter Mokaba Stadium on Saturday afternoon (15:00). 

The Buccaneers are the defending champions of this competition as they won it last season, beating Mamelodi Sundowns 2-1 in the final at Mbombela Stadium. 

Pirates already won the MTN8 Cup this season, and Riveiro’s side wants to reach the final of the Nedbank, as it is always their ambition to reach the final of every tournament they play. 

“It’s very important for us to give our best in every competition where we are participating in,” Riveiro said ahead of their game 

“As a team, I think we have an ambition to play every final, to play every last game of the competition with the ambition to be number one. We are realistic with the difficulties to be there in the last game of each competition, but I think on Saturday we are going to the match with the ambition to be better than SuperSport. 

“I think we deserve to be in the semifinals. But since we are still in the quarterfinals it’s still early to talk about winning the final of this competition, it’s still a long way to go.” 

Meanwhile, in the last eight games for the Buccaneers, only Tshegofatso Mabasa and Patrick Maswanganyi managed to score goals in their attacking players. 

Riveiro revealed that this doesn’t stress him because other players can score. “Everybody can score a goal in a game, there’s many situations in the game that will allow you to do set pieces,” the former Inter Turku coach said. 

“In set pieces, usually the big boys are the ones who are winning the challenges in those 50/50 balls. What we preview in terms of the strategies in those big situations, usually it’s deciding to find those big boys. 

“Goodman Mosele scored in a set piece a few days ago, even though he is not one of those big boys. Tshego is scoring, as long as we score one more goal than the opponent, we are fine. 

“We are creating enough chances, I think even on Wednesday we should have scored before that set piece. This period, the forwards had a bad relationship with the goals, like Rele, Nkota, and it’s a pity even Shandu in the last two games had two or three situations to score. 

“But as long as we score more than an opportunity like on Wednesday it’s fine. The goals are expensive, every team is playing for an objective, and it’s difficult.”

Pic courtesy of Sandile Xakaza/Inja Ka Moya Snaps